The present invention relates generally to computer tomography (CT) scanners and more particularly to a more compact CT scanner. Generally, computer tomography scanners are large enough to scan a patient's entire body. Typically, an x-ray source is mounted on a movable ring, which also includes an array of x-ray detectors opposite the x-ray source. The patient lies on a platform that moves through the ring. The ring is rotated so the x-ray source and detectors revolve around the patient, while the patient is moved through the ring on the platform. The x-ray slices through the body by taking a series of x-rays in a spiral pattern. The x-ray source is typically a “fan beam” x-ray source, i.e., it sends a fan-shaped beam that defines a single plane through the body and is received by the detectors.
These scanners are very large because they are capable of scanning an entire body and must include a platform movable through the x-ray source and detectors. An entire room is often dedicated to such a scanner and its associated equipment.
Because the scanner takes only narrow slices through the body, the x-ray source and detectors must make numerous revolutions just to scan a small area of the body. Further, because some of the internal organs that are being scanned may move, it is important that the scanner and detectors revolve very quickly and process the information very quickly. This greatly increases the cost and complexity of the current design.